Glarus, where tradition takes precedence
The peculiarities of the canton are well reflected in its customs, such as the Glarus ‘Fahrt’ (a procession), the ‘Schellnen’ (a bell-ringing ceremony) and the famous Alpine cattle drive. Furthermore, the only sausage that can be mixed with bread is the Glarus calf sausage. At the Landsgemeinde, there is no anonymous voting and at the Fridlisfüür, children are allowed to smoke. It is precisely this that makes a good custom unique. And when the cows come down from the Alp in the autumn, they will definitely cross the main road during the evening rush hour – the cars will have to wait, tradition comes first.
Alpabfahrt
You can hear them coming from afar: the cows, colourfully decorated with flowers, wearing large bells around their necks. But during the annual Alpabfahrt, the farmer families also dress up in their traditional costumes and dairy-farmer shirts, all with a wooden stick in their hand or a curved knife in their mouth.
